Container for hypodermic needles



Sept. 8, 1953 s. N. BLACKMAN 2,651,407

CONTAINER FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed March 19, 1952 J' ,e Tr

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HTTURNE Y Patented Sept. 8, 1,953

UNITED STATES- PATENT GFFICE CONTAINER. FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Seymour N. Blackman, Teaneck, N. J. Application March 19, 1952, Serial No. 277,494 Claims. (Cl. 20G-43) This invention relates to a container for hypodermic needles.

It is an object of my invention to provide 'a container ofthe character described which houses a plurality of needles in such fashion that although the needles are located close to one another in order to conserve space, they are so relatively aranged that any one of them can be removed easily.

It is a more specic object of my invention to provide a container of the character described in which a large number of needles are located close to one another in substantially a common plane but are automatically separated into two groups when the container is opened so as to render the needles more accessible.

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a closed container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the container open;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the needles removed.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral I0 denotes a needle container constituting a shallow box comprising a tray I2 to the rear edge of which a lid III is rotatably secured as by hinges I6. A catch I8 is provided to hold the lid closed against accidental opening. Both the tray and lid are of substantially the same slight depth, a little less than the thickness ofthe hub 20 of a hypodermic needle 22 in the container.

The container may be fabricated from any suitable material such for instance as metal. However, I prefer to use a synthetic plastic, both for the sake of appearance and to enable the container to be employed in practicing the invention shown, described and claimed in my co-pending application for a Container for Hypodermic Needles, Serial No. 277,493, led March 19, 1952. To this end the lid I4 desirably is made from a clear transparent thermoplastic and the tray from an opaque thermoplastic; p Y

The lid includes means to hold a group of hypodermic needles in given positions within the container and the tray includes a similar means for holding another group of such needles in like manner. Said means may be of any suitable construction, for example, the tray may be provided with a plurality of pairs of clips 23, each of which is formed in one piece with the tray, for example, molded therewith. The clips are resilient and the two legs of each pair of clips are bowed outwardly away from one another. The free edges of each pair of legs are closer together and further from the Wall of the tray than the maximum width of a hub so that when the hub is forced between the legs they will spread and thereafter snap back to frictionally engage the hub whereby to hold a hypodermic needle in predetermined position in the container.

The needle-holding means of the lid desirably is identical in construction with the needle-holding means of the tray.

Each said needle-holding means supports a needle with the cannula parallel to and slightly spaced from the plane of the parting line 24 between the lid and the tray and parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge.

All the needle-holding means of the tray are aligned, that is to say, all the pairs of clips in the tray are arranged in a row perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge whereby the hubs of all the needles carried by the tray are aligned. Likewise the hubs of all the needles carried by the lid are aligned.

In pursuance of my invention the needles supported by the tray have their hubs located adjacent one side of the container and the needles supported by the lid have their hubs located adjacent the opposite side of the container. In other words, the hubs carried by the lid are adjacent one side of the container and the cannulae associated with said hubs point towards the opposite side of the container. The hubs carried by the tray are located adjacent said opposite side of the container and the cannulae associated with the hubs point towards the rst set of hubs. The tips of the cannulae of each group are approximately registered with the rims of the hubs of the other group (see Fig. l). The hubs of the needles in each group are spaced apart slightly and the two groups of needles are so oriented with respect to one another that each cannula 3 of one group is located between a pair ci cannulae of the other group when the container is closed. Moreover, the needles are so supported with respect to the walls of the tray and lid that when the container is closed al the cannulae lie almost in the plane of the parting line as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thus, when the container is open, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the two groups of needles are widely spaced apart. and any needle in eitherV group may be readily pickedy up. by hand or instrument. However, when the container is closed as shown in Fig. 1, the two groups. of needles are sandwiched so as to take up a minimum of space while still presenting ai neat and pleasant appearance.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a device which achieves all the Qbjectsj oi my ine vention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as. various changes might be made-in the embodimentabove set forth, it is te be understood that all matter?l herein described, or shown in theaccompan-ying drawings, is tcbel interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense'.

Having: thus described myy invention., '.t claim asnew and; desirel to securez by Letters. Patent:

11. A container for hypodermic needles includinga receptacle comprising a shallow tray, a shallow lid,- a-nd means. hingedl'y` joining said lid and tray, means carried by( said lidfor individually detachably holding eachneedleof a group or hypcdermic needles; means carriedby the tray forv individually' detachably holding each need-le of a group ofhypodermi'c needles; the needlesV cf both groupsbeing located' substa'ntiallv` a common plane and' each pair-of adjacent needles of either group having a; needlel oi" the other group located between them when the container is closed.

2. A container las set forth in claim 1 wherein needles of each group point in opposite directions.

3. A container as set forth in claim l wherein needles of each group point in opposite directionsand the tips of the needles of one group are aligned with the hubs of the needles in the other group.. 4; A container as settJv forth claim l wherein the hubs of the needles of each group are aligned, the hubs of one group being located adjacent one side of the receptacle and the hubs of the other group being located adjacent the opposite side of the receptacle.

V5'. A container for hypodermic needles including arecptacle. comprising a shallow tray, a sha1- low lid,y and means hingedly joining said lid and trav, means carried bysaid lid for individuallyr detachably holding the hubs of a group of hypodermic. needles, andmeans; carried. byA the tray for individually detachably holding. the: hubsi of the needles of av second group. of hypodermic needles, saidz holding. means beingV located. tc. dis.- pose a needle ct either group: between apail of needles of the other group, when the container is closed.

SEYMOUR* N. BLACKMAN.

References Cited in the file of' this patent' UNITED; SIA'IEES1 PATENTS Number Name Date' 337,888 Swan Mar; 1'6; 11'88'6 828,145 'Snodgrass Aug. '13.1906 964,406 Dewitt July 12F, 1910 l,580,104 Hasselma-nn Apr. 6", 1926 2,4%;009 Beveridge etal; .lilly 30, 1'946 2,467,678 Lockhart Apr. 19; P949 

